The Third Congress of the R.S.D.L.P.

April 12 (25)-April 27 (May 10), 1905

Speech on the Question of the Relations Between Workers and
Intellectuals within the Social-Democratic Organisations

April 20 (May 3)

Icannot agree with the comrades who said it was inappropriate to
broaden the scope of this question. It is quite appropriate.

Ithas been said here that the exponents of Social-Democratic ideas have been
mainly intellectuals. That is not so. During the period of Economism the
exponents of revolutionary ideas were workers, not intellectuals. This is
confirmed by “A Worker”, the author of the pamphlet published with a
foreword by Comrade Axelrod.

ComradeSergeyev asserted here that the elective principle will not make for
better information. That is not so. if the elective principle were appliedin practice, we should unquestionably be much better informed than we
now are.

Ithas also been pointed out that splits have usually been the work of
intellectuals. This is an important point, but it does not settle the
question. In my writings for the press I have long urged that as many workers as
possible should be placed on the

			     committees.[1]The period since the Second
Congress has been marked by inadequate attention to this duty—such is the
impression I have received from talks with comrades engaged in practical Party
work. If in Saratov only one worker was placed on the committee, this means
that they did not. know how to choose suitable peoplefrom among the workers. No doubt, this was due also to the split within the
      Party; the struggle for the committees has had a damaging effect on
      practical work. For this very reason we endeavoured in every way possible
      to speed the convening of the Congress.

Itwill be the task of the future centre to reorganise a considerable number of
our committees; the inertness of the committee-men has to be
overcome. (Applause and booing.)

Ican hear Comrade Sergeyev booing while the non-committee-men applaud. I think
we should look at the matter more broadly. To place workers on the committees is
a political, not only a pedagogical, task. Workers have the class instinct,
and, given some political experience, they pretty soon become staunch
Social-Democrats. I should be strongly in favour of having eight workers to
every two intellectuals on our committees. Should the advice given in our Party
literature—to place as many workers as possible on the committees—be insufficient, it would be advisable for this recommendation to
be given in the name of the Congress. A clear and definite directive from the
Congress will give you a radical means of fighting demagogy; this is the express
will of the Congress.

[1]A Letter to a Comrade on Our Organisational Tasks, September
1902. See present edition, Vol. 6, p. 237.—Ed.